Free photographs? Yeah, right!

[WhoDo]

In case you think that it's only amateur or semi-professional photographers that are approached for FREE photographs, or that the people making the approach are only struggling brides/grooms or charitable institutions, you need to read this piece by Strobists' David Hobby on his blog.

http://strobist.blogspot.com.au/2013...like-some.html

Anyone feel like photographers have become the targets of the Borg? "Resistance is futile. We will assimilate you!"

[danny]

WOW! Great read. It is hard to believe really. Are people really that ignorant of skill?

danny

[arthurking83]

..... Are people really that ignorant of skill?

danny

The problem isn't ignorance. The problem is proliferation.

Facebook, twitter and others have created this situation.
The organisation doing the asking don't know who the photographer is(I don't, I don't expect that they would either!)
They're almost certain to not be photography enthusiasts .. so we really can't expect them to know this.
They just assume that the photographer is an enthusiast/amateur/happysnapper/whatever ... they have a right to ask, and they'll most probably exercise that right.


What is sickening tho is when a large corporation wants free photos for a worldwide major sporting event, and not only wants the photos for free, but also wants the people taking these photos to do all the work for free too.
It's one thing to ask for photos that have already been 'worked for' .. but to ask people to work on a volunteer basis, and provide all the resulting work to the corporation for nothing ... umm ... what does that achieve for the photographer?(who BTW must have experience!).

This topic has been covered to death over an over billions of times now .. we know that it exists and the organisations have a right to ask the questions.
The photographer has a right to decline ..

He also had a right to reply to the Nation Realtors with a quote for the cost of using of the image they sought too(which is what I would have done in his situation).

[danny]

... He also had a right to reply to the Nation Realtors with a quote for the cost of using of the image they sought too(which is what I would have done in his situation).

Agree, I did think that it was strange that, that was not his first step.

danny

[Mark L]

I liked this comment to his blog;
"Siddharth Sirohi said...
"At least they asked, in India they just use the images. They don't ask and they don't inform. If you bump into the image being used you shoot a mail and you don't even get a response back. At best your image will be removed.""

[aussie girl]

Obviously this huge corporate conglomerate got a bit mixed up. They contacted him and asked for the photo for free because they misinterpreted his name....David HOBBY - so obviously, he just does it for a hobby, so why would you pay him?????